Once a topic women would discuss in hushed tones—or avoid altogether—menopause is now trending. Celebrities including Halle Barry and Naomi Watts, influencers and health experts are racking up a staggering number of views discussing everything from hot flashes and hormones to brain fog and skin changes. Data from Saga Health Insurance found that on August 12, millions of people on TikTok searched for content around fertility and menopause, with searches increasing by almost 200% compared with the previous day.
That day, health tech company ŌURA debuted the Perimenopause Check-In feature, an educational hub and biometric symptom tracking. Why is menopause suddenly such a talking point? Simply put, it started with a few women saying it out loud in public, encouraging everyone else to do the same, women’s wellness expert Amy Suzanne Upchurch told Newsweek.
That’s the whole shift right there. There was no version of that ten years ago. You either had a friend who’s been through it or you had nothing.” Thanks to the ubiquity of digital media, Gen X and millennial women are now approaching doctors with specific questions, armed with a surprising command of medical terminology.
They want to understand the difference between oral and transdermal estradiol, whether they're a candidate for testosterone, and what their DEXA scan means,” naturopathic doctor Bobby Parmar tells Newsweek. Haver is a board-certified obstetrics and gynecology specialist, entrepreneur and best-selling author of author of "The New Menopause" and "The New Perimenopause." Content preferences also vary by generation, Upchurch, founder of Pink Stork, explained to Newsweek. Live videos are effective for a Gen X audience, allowing viewers to ask questions about their symptoms in real time.
Younger women tend to choose educational content explaining the early signs of perimenopause, including changes in sleep, mood, energy levels and menstrual cycles. These digital campaigns are countering years of misinformation, much of which can be traced back to reactions to the Women's Health Initiative study. In 1991, the National Institutes of Health launched the clinical study, meant to guide postmenopausal health.
Instead, its hormone therapy trial triggered medical controversy and a wave of panic that changed how millions of women navigated menopause. Today's exploitation of the menopause-related wellness market, the so-called “menopause gold rush,” is positioned to undermine decades of work to correct misinformation and regain public trust surrounding the subject. Though, at the same time, several products have come to market to help women experiencing perimenopause and menopause and their related effects, from symptom trackers like what ŌURA offers to the estrogen-rich product lineup by Winona to hair regrowth formulas from Nutrafol.
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